Chapter 71
[Initiating scan.]
‘Huh?’
Lloyd’s eyes widened.
He stared at the message floating before him with startled, rabbit-like eyes.
He had only thought to try it on a whim.
And it worked.
It actually worked.
‘Wow, this is insane.’
But now wasn’t the time to marvel at it.
Nor was it the time to wonder why it worked.
He could save the amazement and analysis for later.
‘Right now, I just need to use this.’
Questions could wait. The priority was action.
Lloyd refocused on the message before him, his eyes moving quickly.
‘Tzzzzzz!’
Wherever his gaze landed, his vision transformed as if augmented by augmented reality.
The massive body of Gigatitan, still thrashing as it chased Javier, came into view.
Detailed information was analyzed and displayed for every part of its colossal frame, as though a map hack had laid bare every pore of the creature.
Thanks to this, Lloyd could see the secret behind Gigatitan’s immense defense.
‘So, the survey results show that its exoskeleton is… ah, a mix of chitin and ivory-like substances.’
And it wasn’t just a random mix.
At the molecular level, it was structured in a triple honeycomb pattern, which was layered and intertwined into a spiral formation.
It was practically a cutting-edge bulletproof vest made of Kevlar-like biological fibers.
‘And on top of that, it’s an average of 1 meter thick.’
A bio-armor with an incredible 1-meter-thick defense layer.
But that wasn’t the only secret to its durability.
‘The entire surface of the exoskeleton is engraved with fine ripple-like patterns, all flowing in the same direction.’
These ripples converged toward its forehead, where a massive horn jutted out like a spike.
Lloyd’s gaze sharpened.
‘That horn—it’s not just for show, is it?’
His eyes gleamed with focus.
All the ripples led to that horn, and inside, the horn was hollow.
There had to be a reason for it.
‘It’s not just a decorative feature. Let’s see… can this work? Design!’
Lloyd activated his design skill, enabling one of its special options.
‘Ding-dong.’
[Design Skill Option ③: Initiating Simulation Mode.]
[Using terrain data from Survey Skill as the simulation target.]
‘Whoosh!’
The virtual design space lit up.
A network of dots and lines appeared.
They connected together, forming a polygonal structure—a detailed model of Gigatitan, based on the data from his survey.
‘Perfect. It’s working.’
Lloyd glanced at the actual Gigatitan thrashing in the distance.
The virtual model in the simulation matched it perfectly.
‘Good, this will do.’
Lloyd raised his hands, manipulating the simulation interface in the air.
‘I need to figure out the relationship between those ripple patterns on the shell and the hollow horn.’
He zoomed in on the exoskeleton on Gigatitan’s back.
Curling his fingers, he muttered, ‘Let’s start with testing a physical impact of, hmm, 30 tons.’
‘Tap!’
He flicked his finger, and the virtual finger in the simulation tapped on Gigatitan’s back with the set 30-ton force.
‘Boom!’
The simulation visually displayed the flow of force from the impact.
A red wave radiated from the point of contact, but the force didn’t penetrate the exoskeleton.
Instead, it flowed along the ripple patterns on the surface, converging at the horn.
That’s when it happened.
The hollow space inside the horn resonated.
‘That’s it. The horn absorbs the shock and disperses it as vibrations, neutralizing most of the impact.’
Lloyd’s eyes lit up.
It was astonishing—a marvel of nature’s design.
‘But this isn’t the time to admire it.’
The goal wasn’t to satisfy curiosity through surveying and designing.
Right now, he needed to find the monster’s weakness.
His gaze grew even sharper, more focused.
‘Just hang on a little longer, Javier!’
If Javier weren’t holding Gigatitan’s attention, this opportunity wouldn’t exist.
Understanding this, Lloyd ran countless simulations, testing various physical properties and durability thresholds of every part of Gigatitan’s body.
Finally, he found it.
‘There it is.’
Lloyd narrowed his eyes and locked onto a specific spot.
The joint between the 11th and 12th abdominal plates, where Gigatitan’s chest and abdomen connected.
‘It’s not an insect, so I can’t technically call it a chest and abdomen, but close enough. That’s the weakest spot.’
The experiments confirmed it.
The exoskeleton in that area wasn’t thinner—in fact, it was thicker than the back.
But with two specific conditions met, it was the most vulnerable spot.
‘The horn and the angle of attack—those are the keys.’
To pierce the weak point, two preparations were necessary.
First, the horn had to be removed.
‘That will eliminate the shock-absorbing effect.’
The ripple patterns on the exoskeleton couldn’t be erased, but the horn could be removed.
Without the horn, the shockwaves following the ripple patterns wouldn’t resonate and would instead bounce back along the same paths.
‘And the second condition is the angle.’
The joint between the 11th and 12th plates had to be struck at a precise 45-degree angle, from the tail toward the head.
Of course, it couldn’t be a light strike—it would need tremendous force.
‘But with Javier’s explosive strikes, it’s doable.’
He ran three simulations with these parameters.
The results were all successful.
Using the explosive power that could split granite, Javier could pierce the exoskeleton at the weak spot, severing the underlying nerve cords and other critical tissues.
‘That should be enough to deal a fatal blow. It’s possible.’
Lloyd deactivated the simulation mode.
He raised his head.
Lloyd stared at Javier, who was still locked in a desperate struggle against Gigatitan’s relentless attacks.
He started running toward him.
When he was about 200 meters away, he shouted at the top of his lungs, “Hey! Can you hear me?”
No response.
It seemed like Javier couldn’t hear him.
‘Ah, damn it.’
Lloyd really didn’t want to get any closer.
But if he stayed where he was, Javier might actually die.
Lloyd bit his lip hard.
‘Ugh, this self-righteous hero-complex maniac! This is why protagonists in novels are hopeless. They have zero sense of reality.’
What kind of lunatic would willingly face a monster like that head-on?
Was it some sort of noble resolve to protect complete strangers?
Honestly, Lloyd felt it was admirable in some ways.
But on the other hand, the fact that such a reckless hero was his personal knight filled him with a bitter sense of despair—like a shot of overly strong espresso.
‘This guy, seriously!’
Resolving himself, Lloyd picked up speed.
200 meters became 150, then 100.
He closed the distance to Javier, even stepping into the massive shadow cast by Gigatitan’s enormous body.
From there, he yelled with all his might.
“Hey! You idiot!”
Finally, a response came.
Despite the situation, Javier’s calm voice carried clearly, likely amplified by mana.
“Lord Lloyd?”
“Yeah, it’s me, you moron!”
“Are you here to fight with me?”
…Why did Javier’s voice sound almost hopeful?
Lloyd shuddered and retorted, “Fight with you? Are you out of your mind? Why would I do that?”
He shouted again, “You’re struggling right now, aren’t you? No matter how much you cut or stab, you can’t even scratch that thing’s exoskeleton, can you?”
“No, that’s not true.”
“It’s not?”
“Correct.”
“And why not?”
“Because I’m currently focusing on the horn first.”
“…What?”
Lloyd instinctively looked up.
There was Gigatitan, looming above him.
Through the enormous frame of its body, he caught a glimpse of its head.
And the horn—was already halfway severed!
“I had a hunch that the horn served to disperse impact forces. That’s why I decided to cut it off first.”
“Hah.”
Javier’s voice remained calm as ever, in stark contrast to his swift, storm-like movements.
Watching him leap upward, Lloyd realized something.
‘So this is what genius looks like.’
Truly befitting the first and only Grandmaster in history.
The weak point Lloyd had painstakingly deduced using surveying skills was something Javier had partially figured out just by facing the monster directly.
“So, have you figured out the weak point near its chest too?”
“No, I haven’t.”
“That’s why I’m here, you idiot!”
Right now, the only person capable of exploiting Gigatitan’s weakness was Javier.
Which meant Lloyd had to share the information with him.
It was the only way to save both Javier and himself.
Lloyd shouted, “The weak spot is where the chest and abdomen connect! Between the eleventh and twelfth abdominal plates! See it?”
“I do.”
“You need to strike there at a 45-degree angle from the tail toward the head! Use explosive power!”
“Will that suffice?”
“Probably! But you need to finish cutting off the horn first!”
Javier didn’t ask how Lloyd had come to know this.
There was no time for unnecessary questions.
They simply had to trust each other now.
“Then please stay here.”
‘Thud!’
Javier finally landed and released Lloyd’s nape, which he had grabbed moments earlier.
For the first time in what felt like ages, Lloyd’s neck was freed from Javier’s grip.
And then, without hesitation, Javier leapt back into the fray.
‘Whoosh!’
Lloyd was left standing among the jagged rocks of the coastal cliff.
He watched Javier charge back toward Gigatitan and thought to himself:
‘Javier’s combat really is like a work of art.’
‘Swooosh! Boom!’
One of Gigatitan’s massive legs slammed into the ground, aiming to crush Javier as he charged.
But by then, Javier had already leapt high into the air.
Or rather, he was practically flying, springing off Gigatitan’s legs one after another.
‘Tap! Tap! Tap!’
Using its pillar-like legs as stepping stones, he propelled himself higher and higher.
When another leg joint tried to block his ascent, Javier’s sword lashed out.
He used the rebound from the strike to launch himself horizontally, then fired an explosive blast downward to adjust his trajectory.
With seamless movements, he evaded and deflected five of Gigatitan’s thrashing appendages.
Finally, he landed atop the monster’s carapace.
Then he sprinted.
‘Thwack!’
Like a gust of wind brought to life.
Like an arrow shooting toward its target.
Javier’s lightning-fast charge was aimed squarely at Gigatitan’s head.
Before the beast could even shake its body to throw him off, Javier leapt once more.
And this time, the momentum of his charge was channeled entirely into his blade.
Spinning in midair, Javier added rotational force to his strike.
He swung his sword.
He cut.
It was the same spot he had attacked dozens of times before, with the exact same angle and direction.
The razor-sharp blade glinted as it precisely struck the weakened point.
‘Slice!’
The horn atop Gigatitan’s forehead was severed.
‘Grrrrrrk!’
Enraged, Gigatitan lunged at Javier with its entire body.
But by that moment, Javier had already landed and shifted direction.
‘BOOM!’
The ground erupted violently under the weight of the monster’s furious charge, flipping the earth itself.
Javier narrowly avoided the attack, dashing across the upheaved terrain as though it were a steady path. His eyes gleamed like fangs ready to bite.
‘There.’
He locked onto the weak spot Lloyd had pointed out.
Like a gust of wind, he flowed into the massive beast’s chest cavity, moving with precise, graceful steps.
‘I’ve got it.’
From this angle, he needed to stab upward at exactly 45 degrees toward the head.
Recalling Lloyd’s instructions, Javier adjusted the angle of his blade slightly.
With a surge of mana, his sword thrust forward.
‘Boom!’
Just as the explosive power was about to pierce the weak spot—
‘Whoosh!’
“……!”
A fierce gust of wind suddenly rushed from his left.
It was Gigatitan’s massive club-like foreleg.
“Damn it!” Javier clicked his tongue, reflexively redirecting his strike toward the incoming attack.
The massive foreleg and Javier’s explosive thrust collided midair.
‘Crash!’
The impact sent Javier flying.
No, he wasn’t just thrown—he was slammed downward into the ground.
“Ugh!” he groaned as his feet crashed into solid rock, splitting it apart.
But he didn’t have a moment to rest.
‘Whoooosh!’
This time, the monster’s foreleg came down with even more ferocity.
Javier rolled aside just in time.
The ground exploded under the force of the strike, sending fragments of rock raining down like a storm.
Amidst the chaos, Javier counterattacked.
He relentlessly aimed for the weak spot.
Gigatitan, however, guarded its vulnerable area with tenacity.
The battle became a fierce clash—Javier, a silver-haired knight on the brink of becoming a Swordmaster, against a monster the size of a building.
Each poured their all into the fight.
From about a hundred meters away, Lloyd watched the intense struggle.
‘Damn, at this rate, it’s going to be tough.’
It seemed increasingly likely that Javier would die if things continued as they were.
And that meant Lloyd couldn’t simply stand by anymore.
He would have to do something to ensure Javier could focus on exploiting the weak spot.
‘So, my role today is to draw aggro, huh?’
Aggro.
Or, in simpler terms, baiting the enemy’s attention.
But how exactly should he go about it?
Lloyd turned his head, scanning the surroundings.
His gaze landed on the distant Cremo City.
At the edge of the plaza, he spotted a statue of a mermaid lodged in a spire.
‘Right. That thing’s what made Gigatitan go berserk earlier.’
The monster had rampaged through the city after launching itself onto land to attack the mermaid statue further.
Now, what would happen if that very mermaid statue suddenly started dancing right in front of it? A ridiculous combination of the “Seven-Eel Ascension Dance” with a lively popping hula?
‘Javier wouldn’t even register in its sight.’
A smirk tugged at Lloyd’s lips.
He recalled a fundamental law he had learned from countless hours in South Korea’s online gaming worlds:
When it comes to drawing aggro?
You’ve got to make them ‘really’ mad—mad enough to scream, ‘“Are you playing like a troll?!”’
